I I took to paper creating rough, rudimentary sketches to distill the data collected during discovery and provide visible structure to the suggested approach to the Tizen OZ app store’s social and geo approach to recommendations, interactions, discovery, and ecommerce functions.

Start on paper. Get feedback fast.

Using games and awards helps engage users and encourages use of the application for commerce, social, and entertainment purposes at higher rates than with out game features. Leaderboards encourage engagement, sharing, and the purchase of related apps and products.

Gamified and Rewarding

Recommendations from friends and contacts are often reliable and accurate ways to find new content, whether a new book, movie, or application. Leveraging users’ social networks and combining that information with geo-location, provider content, and user data, the Tizen App Store aggregates customers’ apps, friends, places, and other preferences, then interprets that data to provide guided recommendations specific to that customer.

Social and Friendly

Starting with the core functionality, I ensured content was readily disoverable by standard methods such as robust search, intuitive browsing, intuitive navigation, and clear design.

Other content features include top categories and local favorites, recommendations, trending apps, and differentiated content based on inputs and history.

The Fundamentals

The Tizen App Store is aware of the users’ location and can provide links to geo-targeted advertisments, deals, recommendations, or other pertinent info based on the users’ preferences.

Geo-Aware

Purchases new phone

Finds only factory-shipped apps

Shares with friends

Cannot find friendsto use her new app with

No reponse from friendsCannot find apps for usewith friends or that correspondto her interests

Doesn’t us apps very often and is ultimately unsatified with her overall experience with her phone

Finds new apps

Finds a cool appWants to use it with friends

Launches app storeDoesn’t know what’s best

Customer Journey Map: What do current mobile customers need? Where can we help?

I conducted observational interviews and research with users of current app systems. Interested in their current interactions and expectations, I used the participants interactions and comments to guide our approach to design and development of our new app and system.

HIYOTI USING A CURRENT APP STORE

Akira: Active Customer,New Tizen OS Device

Intent:Akira travels often for business and just was given a new Tizen phone for work. He wants to use all the apps he has in the past on other devices, or find their equivalent on the new phone. He also wants to find the best new apps running on the Tizen platform.

PROBLEM:At early release, Tizen has a limited catalog of applications. Akira needs to find equavelents for the apps he’s been using in the past. He would also like new apps just for Tizen and to be notified of new additions to the app library that fit is interests, preferences, and his social network’s influence.

Disposition: Eager

Hiyori: New Customer, New Tizen OS Device

INTENTHiyori just bought a new Samsung Tizen operated mobile device and wants to get apps. Hiyori has many interests and needs a good way to browse applications and get guidance on the best. As a student she is also very aware of cost.

PROBLEM:She wants to find apps on her new Tizen device that she can use with her friends and engage with social community. Tizen is a new operating system and not all popular apps are available yet so it’s important to get guidance on the best new downloads for her.

DISPOSITION: Optimisic but lost

“I love games and movies and with friends is fun because they always have cool apps and we can we can take pics of eachother or send music or whatever. Not all the apps are on Tizen yet. What’s good to use?”

“I want to find the latest apps that are either the ones I’ve used or equavelents. I also want to find brand new stuff.. I don’t shop or play games much. I’m pretty business and travel, so geo-location-based recommendations are helpful.”

Our target audience focused on the Chinese customer using a Samsung device running the Tizen operating system. Designs and strategy needed to address the needs of two core user personas: new and returning customers.

Discovery: AudienceSamsung Mobile Device Users

Phase One started with a short window of discovery, including stakeholder and customer interviews, competitive analysis, technical and best practices around social engagement and sharing.

This phase was limited in time and scope requiring the team to rely on previous experience, subject-matter expertise, and shared knowledge and research.

Geography, lanugage, and customs provided an extra challenge for research and envisioning.

Discovery

The Problem

THE PROBLEMSupporting Tizen Samsung required a way for consumers to discover, purchase, download and interact with Tizen apps. How can we create a system to help customers discover apps in a new, useful, and engaging way?

The Team

Morgan O'Fry

VISUAL DESIGNER

Rob Stanless

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Cheryl Botstick

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Tim Aidlin

SENIOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CX) DESIGER

Martin Summers

BUSINESS PARTNERACCOUNT MANGER

Richard Duncan

DIRECTOR, PARTNER FINANCE

Melissa Quan

VISUAL DESIGNER

Samsung Tizen App Store

In support of the release of Samsung’s Tizen mobile Operating System (OS), I led design efforts to create a strategy around the design, development, and release of an application portal for the purchase, download and installation of applications for TizenOS mobile devices.

Over approximately eight weeks I conducted stakeholder and customer research, crafted design and production strategy, assisted with the scoping of features and timelines, and designed guiding information architecture, wireframes, and a low-fidelity prototype.

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Samsung Tizen OS App Store

Find apps.Share apps.

How does “The Competition“ do it well? Where can we improve?

I conducted a short heuristic evaluation comparing existing and competitive app stores and establish our basline for best-of-breed experiences. I examined user interactions and flows, feature sets, design systems and language, accessability, and other metrics to help guide feature priorities, design, and product engineering.

Summary

Using the best of design, engineering, marketing, and business, Samsung’s Tizen App Store was designed to be intuitive, useful, and provide the best experience for new Tizen customers.

This project was designed and delivered to Samsung on deadline to a happy client. The release of Tizen was delayed due to technical issues, and the public release of the store was delayed and redesigned with re-focued requirements and done in-house. No metrics are available.